Come Down Under! Living the Australian Life

Small World - Gabriella Casares, 19, Massachuetts

From the Heart of a Young Muslim Girl
Hafsah Negussie, 14
Brisbane, Australia

I’m a Muslim girl and I live in Australia, but whenever a person that recognizes me as a Muslim starts to curse and swear at me and my religion, I feel scared and unsafe. It hurts me to see people in the world whose kindness changes into anger and hatred when fueled by false information. Not all people are bad but most are, because they believe the false allegations they read or hear about Muslims and Islam instead of finding out for themselves.

People always try to give a name to Islam and the followers of Islam, Muslims, and that name is TERRORIST. Islam is all about peace and does not allow terrorism at all! Islam is the complete opposite of terrorism, yet we Muslims are discriminated by the public calling us terrorists.

I want to grow up as a normal teenager just like other teens. We are all the same. I can’t go out as much because people will curse, swear, and maybe do more to me because I am a Muslim. But I am proud of who I am and I just wish people would understand what Islam is really about. I live a great life apart from that. I am happy as a Muslim and I love my religion more than anything in the world. My faith is what keeps me going every day and I respect all the other religions around me.

Finding Green
Holly Godfrey, 13
Melbourne, Australia

A Memory…
The squeak of the swing
is lost
in the pure greenness of the place.
Look up
and there is
no sky
just a mosaic of
leaves.
Ferns heavy with dew
reach out to tickle your face.
The only sounds are
the chortle of the kookaburra*
and the trickle
drip
plop
of the rain.

Now it is different.
The smog
puffs out
of the monster car.
Look down
and there is
no ground,
just a big mess of
trash.
The toxic scent of cigarettes
reaches out to rot your lungs.
The only sounds you hear
are just traffic noises like beep
honk
screech—
No more singing birds.

We Australians have lost our green.
But slowly,
gently,
we drive smaller cars
turn off lights
turn down our air-cons*
drive less
walk more
bring back endangered animals
make our politicians take an interest.
And soon
we’ll find our green again.

*Kookaburra: A bird native to Australia whose call sounds remarkably like human laughter.
*Air-Cons: Air conditioners.

What Not to Say to an Australian Class Clown
Katrina Brown

I love writing and I'm a vegetarian. Most people think us Aussies live in kangaroo pouches and love Fosters beer. Seriously, most of us don't even acknowledge Fosters!

My life here so far has been a typical one, family, school, and friends with the odd cow thrown in. I'm the shyest person you'll ever meet and I keep my circle of friends very close. We are allowed to hang out in an empty classroom, tons of people still come in even if they get told off by the ‘Bogmeister’—he’s our resident humorous authority figure who likes to throw in his two cents. In my opinion my school is HUGE and it took me about two weeks to get to know the place, but hidden away there are some great people and teachers. Personally, I love English, art, and agriculture. Now I hear some of you saying “Oooh, they really do that bogan* stuff after all.” At first, I joined this class so I could get to know some of my friends better, but I actually started to enjoy the manual labor after a while.

Now for some stuff at the opposite end of the table. Last time I saw an American in the flesh they threw a "G'day" my way, laughing. I threw it right back at them just so they could throw a peach at my face. Now if I could relive that moment I would shove something worse than a peach in their face. Next time you see an Aussie, throw them a friendly "Hi," and keep those peaches in your pockets and we'll do the same for you.

*Bogan: unsophisticated or lower class

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